Currently, the process of informatization of society has become one of the most significant global processes of our time. Informatization as an objective regularity is one of the conditions for the successful solution of the tasks of socio-economic development in the country.

The creation of a single database has improved the quality of medical work, patient care, and disease diagnosis. A single information forum of doctors made it possible to speed up the decision to diagnose the patient, the decision to treat the patient. Open consultations of doctors make it possible to enrich medicine not only from the practical part, but also from the theoretical side. The unification of several areas of medicine allowed the development of the scientific side of medicine, facilitated the choice of pharmacological agents for the treatment of the patient, simplified the choice of diagnostic methods for determining a particular disease.

Distance learning is one of the most effective and promising systems of training and retraining of specialists. Modern education cannot be considered in isolation from the global processes of economic, social and cultural development. Now no one doubts that most of the changes taking place in the global economy are closely related to the widespread introduction of new information technologies. And with the formation of a new information-oriented society, it becomes clear that only those countries whose population reaches the highest level of competence in converting information into knowledge and skills with their subsequent application in work and everyday life will be able to achieve significant economic advantages.

The development of distance learning, closely related to the progress of information and communication technologies, is a direct consequence of the emergence of new educational needs of society and its desire to use more extensive information resources.

The scientific information system «Internist» was created in 2001 as a project for remote improvement of doctors. Internist is a large–scale system that provides remote access to special medical knowledge. The content takes into account all areas of medicine and will be interesting to specialists of both narrow and wide profile, as well as those who are still studying: students, residents and graduate students.

The task of the Internist is to simplify the access of doctors of all specialties to the expert and clinical experience of domestic and world authorities. The internist gives only the information that is relevant and important to doctors today. Since 2001, Internist has been providing a unique opportunity for free continuous participation in its programs for every doctor, regardless of his place of residence.

Today is the INTERNIST website.RU has more than 8 thousand pages of useful information in the public domain, of which 5 thousand videos and more than 3 thousand pages of thematic publications, articles and presentations.

Internist strives to provide access to special medical knowledge to the widest possible range of specialists:

• all programs are free and do not require registration;
• broadcasting is adaptive and adapted to the speed of Internet access – you can connect from anywhere in the world using any technique: computer, smartphone or tablet;
• each broadcast has feedback – this means that you have the opportunity to ask any question of interest to the speaker live;

The Internet Session is a continuous 12–hour Internet broadcast in all major disciplines with simultaneous connection of several thousand doctors. The broadcast starts early in the morning, which means that not only the central part of Russia can participate in the online discussion, but it will also be convenient for more remote regions to connect to the broadcast. Due to the demand for Internet Sessions, as well as for the purpose of additional exchange of professional experience, the International Internet Congress is held once a year — the largest online event with the participation of foreign specialists dedicated to topical issues of medicine. Together with leading experts from all over the country, using the example of real clinical situations, it is possible to understand the peculiarities of the course of diseases of the cardiovascular system in such programs as «Competent Cardiologist», «Cardiologist», «Club of Experts on Heart Failure».

In the digital age, a young and educated doctor forms his own special software tools.

The programs for doctors on statistical data processing presented on the Internet amount to about 80 titles, of which six (3 European and 3 American) are specially designed to work with biomedical data:

1. Arcus Quickstat biomedical software tool for Microsoft Windows and its later version – StatsDirect Statistical Software / United Kingdom/;
2. MedCalc A computer program for medical statistics /Belgium/;
3. Brodgar software /United Kingdom/;
4. Vitalnet for Analyzing Health Data /USA/;
5. Epi Info /USA/;
6. CAGED – Cluster Analysis of Gene Expression Dynamics /USA/.

Often, when conducting clinical trials, unique software is used, designed for scientific research in various fields of knowledge, business and marketing, especially if they provide special modules for biomedical research.

Biomedical statistical programs

• StatsDirect — a software package specially designed for biomedical research, contains, in addition to universal statistical and analytical methods, statistical methods for the analysis of survival, forecasting and risk assessment, calculation of confidence intervals, randomization and meta-analysis. Contains a block of information and a user manual. Designed for Windows 98, NT and 2000, compatible with Microsoft Excel 97 and 2000. Developed in the UK by the authors of an earlier version of the Arcus Quickstat biomedical program. Email address http://www.statsdirect.com.
• MedCalc software — a software package of Belgian authors includes methods of analysis and comparison of characteristic curves (ROC curve analysis) in bio-medical research (http://www.medcalc.be). It is a member of the American Statistical Association (ASA).
• Brodgar software is a product of Highland Statistics Ltd /UK/, designed for the analysis of biomedical and environmental information. Within the framework of the program, statistical courses (including the course «Analysis of biological and experimental data») and consultations have been developed. The software contains data visualization methods, one-dimensional and multidimensional analysis, time series analysis (http://www.brodgar.com and http://www.highstat.com).
• Vitalnet for Analyzing Health Data is a product of Expert Health Data Pro-gramming, Inc (EHDP), USA. The software is designed for the collection, exchange and analysis of health-related data. It contains a powerful arsenal of analytical and graphical methods, an information base on health issues. It includes sections: on the accounting and analysis of fertility, maternal and fetal pathology; current mortality rates; hospital discharge; demographic indicators and health status; epidemiology; health planning and cost analysis; registry of oncological diseases; injury registry. With the help of Vitalnet, it is possible to analyze the effectiveness of treatment costs, prepare statistical reports on health issues, plan therapeutic and preventive measures. (http://www.ehdp.com / vitalnet/).
• Epi Info — the program was developed by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct epidemiological studies. It allows you to create databases, carry out their statistical processing, build graphs, apply the information obtained on geographical maps. (http://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/index.htm).
• CAGED (Cluster Analysis of Gene Expression Dynamics) is a computer program designed to analyze gene expression (cluster analysis using the Bayesian approach). Developed in the Pediatric Clinic of the largest medical center in the USA — Harvard Medical School (http://www.genomethods.org / caged /).

Universal statistical and analytical programs

• Statistica is a product of StatSoft, Inc (USA). Statistica is a universal software designed for statistical analysis, visualization and development («mining») of data («data mining»), database management. It contains a wide range of analysis procedures for use in scientific research, engineering, and business, including a specialized module for conducting biomedical research. The system allows you to integrate into various other applications or computing environments, gives you access to new, non-traditional methods of data analysis. StatSoft company portal (http://www.statsoft.com) exists in the Russian version (www/statsoft.ru/home/). It contains detailed information about methods of statistical processing and data analysis, analytical programs of the Internet.
• SYSTAT is a software package of Systat software, Inc., USA, designed for scientific research, including in medicine. It is widely used by the world’s largest pharmaceutical and perfume companies, universities and research institutions. Many analytical procedures of Systat are borrowed from the earlier biomedical statistical-analytical program BMDP (Biomedical Data Processing), which ceased to exist in 2000. Systat products are independent programs: SigmaPlot, SigmaStat, TableCurve 2D, PeakFit.
• SigmaPlot — allows you to quickly visualize data by plotting. The appropriate type of graphic image is selected from the extensive menu, the interactive supervisor comments on each stage of the graph construction. A comparative analysis of graphical images is carried out by moving and creating new coordinate axes, combining graphs. Contains all the fundamental statistical methods of analysis. There is also a graph conversion menu that allows you to select suitable symbols, lines, colors, create illustrations, maps and other visual images based on the graphs obtained. It has additional modules — electrophysiological, enzyme kinetics, ligand bonds.
• SigmaStat is a universal package of statistical programs that contains a guide that helps a researcher to analyze data — choose the correct method of analysis, avoid statistical errors, interpret the result correctly, and professionally prepare a message. The program’s capabilities are complemented by connecting it to the SigmaPlot program.
• TableCurve 2D — allows the researcher to find the ideal model for describing any data array, ranging from a simple linear equation to the most complex power functions by the procedure of automatic selection of a suitable dependence. It includes methods for calculating and graphically constructing confidence and prognostic intervals of the obtained criteria. Contains methods for analyzing rare dependencies.
• PeakFit — software is designed to analyze nonlinear peak curves, identify hidden peaks by selecting adequate graphical base and peak functions, eliminate «noise» by special statistical and analytical methods.
• S-Plus is a product of Insightful, USA. Universal software for data analysis, contains a block of biopharmaceutical programs, including planning and analysis of clinical trials, statistical and analytical methods for assessing the risk and safety of treatment in the testing of drugs of preclinical and clinical phases. The software is used in the work of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) In the analysis of pharmaceutical companies’ products, as well as for secondary information analysis (data mining) of the accumulating array of results of clinical trials of various medicinal products.
• XLSTAT — software created by Addinsoft, USA, designed to work in Microsoft Excel; optimal for daily statistical summaries. In addition to universal statistical and analytical programs, it contains special modules for the analysis of survival and the analysis of the dose effect in pharmacology.
• SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) is a product of the US company of the same name, focused mainly on marketing research, forecasting financial indicators and the formation of management decisions. SPSS for Windows is available in Russian. In the field of health care, analysis of patient data, analysis of survival, methods for planning treatment courses, conducting medical examinations and optimizing the work of medical institutions are provided. (http://www.spss.com).